This is a discussion on Looking to buy high milage WRX, input appreciated! within the Car Purchasing Forum forums, part of the ClubWRX.net Marketplace category; Hey everyone, I'm new here!
I used to drive a RX8, but totaled it the other day. Im not mad ...

Looking to buy high milage WRX, input appreciated!

Hey everyone, I'm new here!

I used to drive a RX8, but totaled it the other day. Im not mad though, me and my passenger walked away with our lives. I can replace the car, but not my friend or my life, so now its time to replace the car!

I love the wrx, highly upgradeable, great performer, reliable, has AWD (i live in New England), and is a nice sized vehicle IMO.

Now heres where I need help. I have a low budget (>$10k) so im really restricted. I did find a 2006 WRX sedan but it has 174xxx miles (my first vehicle was a silverado with 295xxx miles and I drove it to 320xxx miles with no issues)! I've looked at the carfax, it was never in an accident or anything, its had 2 owners, and from what I could tell, everything is stock (no aftermarket upgrades). The first owner put 23k on it a year (double the average, must be highway miles) and the second owner put 21k on it a year (again, highway miles, hopefully). I took it for a test drive the other day and the clutch felt nice, the transmission felt solid, and overall the car felt great. it idled nicely, it didn't shake, it felt solid. Once we got out though, there was an oil leak. I told the dealer, and they said they would fix it all at no extra cost. They would also go over the vehicle and fix anything that needs to be replaced. Because I live in MA, there is a lemon law so they can't really screw me over, and i plan on getting some type of warranty threw the dealer as well (powertrain).

So what do you think? If the car has this high of miles, its typically due to highway miles (this is purely speculation though). I've had no problems with a high mileage vehicle before, so im not THAT scared. It seems to be stock, and the car still feels very tight.

They are asking $8995, but i'd offer them $7995 due to the high miles. Thoughts?

I did find a 2006 WRX sedan TR (I assume its the TR cause it has the hood scoop)

Hi. Welcome. Just to confirm all wrxs from the factory have a hood scoop. The TR is a trim level. It was cheaper than a regular wrx. It has regular impreza seats, no sideskirts, no body matching mirrors, no climate control, etc.

If it doesn't have any sort of maintenance records, it's not worth it. Carfax is a sham as not everyone reports to Carfax and the information provided is usually inaccurate.
And also, lemon law cases are hard to win, so I wouldn't put all my cards in that basket. And, dealer provided warranties are usually a sham as well.

CARFAX isn't the know all end all everybody thinks it is. With a performance car like the WRX or STI, maintenance records on a used car is key. With the mileage on the car, without maintenance records and a thorough inspection (including compression tests), it's a huge risk.

I understand carfax isn't very great, but it does show that maintaince was done periodically, and that it was never in an accident.

I went and checked out the car again today. Did some reading on here first on "WRX buyer checklist". Checked most of the recommended things (other than under the car) and everything seemed good. Even the clutch is solid, and the gearbox feels terrific!

I also checked out the psi boost, its still the stock guage, so I was having hard time reading what it was saying. basically it was -.07ish when I was sitting there, and it would go up to .05-.08 when the turbo kicks in (wasnt able to hit WOT in 3rd/4th). Not sure how to read the stock gauge, anyone know if these are good readings? EDIT: after doing some research, this is exactly how a stock turbo should operate!

I talked them down $500 (yay go me) and I am able to get a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty on it through the dealership (covers everything other than common wear and tear such as brake pads, wipers, etc), made sure that powertrain and transmission were covered. For $10,650, I'll have a good condition WRX with high miles, but I won't have to worry about replacing anything major for the next 5 years if anything was to go. I also requested a compression test to be done, and they seemed very confident that they could get that done for me!

Very pleased with this "stealership" so far, they are really working with me here.

I understand carfax isn't very great, but it does show that maintaince was done periodically, and that it was never in an accident.

I went and checked out the car again today. Did some reading on here first on "WRX buyer checklist". Checked most of the recommended things (other than under the car) and everything seemed good. Even the clutch is solid, and the gearbox feels terrific!

I also checked out the psi boost, its still the stock guage, so I was having hard time reading what it was saying. basically it was -.07ish when I was sitting there, and it would go up to .05-.08 when the turbo kicks in (wasnt able to hit WOT in 3rd/4th). Not sure how to read the stock gauge, anyone know if these are good readings? EDIT: after doing some research, this is exactly how a stock turbo should operate!

I talked them down $500 (yay go me) and I am able to get a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty on it through the dealership (covers everything other than common wear and tear such as brake pads, wipers, etc), made sure that powertrain and transmission were covered. For $10,650, I'll have a good condition WRX with high miles, but I won't have to worry about replacing anything major for the next 5 years if anything was to go. I also requested a compression test to be done, and they seemed very confident that they could get that done for me!

Very pleased with this "stealership" so far, they are really working with me here.

Any new thoughts now based on this information?

I still say NO...

1. Just because CARFAX didn't report an accident or flood doesn't mean squat. It may have been in an accident or a flood and it's possible CARFAX never knew about it. Happens all the time. CARFAX now admits this...they even changed the tone of their ads as a result.

Also, CARFAX won't specifically identify what specific maintenance was performed. Their listing is vague at best. This is where maintenance records tell the better story. BTW, note that for the first 128,279 miles, there was no reported maintenance. Beyond that, details are sketchy at best (some entries don't even have mileage information).

2. Willing to bet you're getting a third party warranty and they're tough as nails to get anything covered. Expect a fight for everything you think will be covered. They will do everything in their power to deny coverage.

3. Your car inspection should be performed by an independent mechanic of your choosing (including the compression test), not by the dealership.

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